An unmanned aerial system (UAS) may include an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV, e.g., a drone) and a UAV control device, where a UAV operator (e.g. pilot) uses the control device to operate the UAV. UAVs provide various advantages over manned aerial vehicles, such as reduced initial and operational cost, improved maneuverability, improved operator safety, and other advantages. These improvements have significantly reduced the barriers to ownership and operation of UAVs, resulting in a significant increase in the number of UAVs operated by the public.
The increased number of UAVs has driven an increased need for regulation of UAV operations. These regulations may be mandated by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), by other national and international aviation regulations, by state law, by local municipalities, or by other organizations. These regulations may include a maximum flight altitude, a maximum operator distance, minimum safe distances from designated areas (e.g., airports, private property), mandatory UAV registration, and other regulations. However, there are several barriers to enforcing these regulations, including the difficulties in detecting and identifying a UAV or UAV operator. Additionally, mitigating a threat posed by an intruding UAV often relies on a human (e.g., security, law enforcement) to repel or capture the intruding UAV. What is needed is an improved UAV detection and mitigation solutions.